Greg Laurie daily devotion - Mar. 23, 2011

Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.” —Matthew 13:24–25

Even back in the apostle Paul’s day, there were counterfeit Christians. He wrote to the church at Corinth, “I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not” (2 Corinthians 11:26). There are a lot of people today who are putting on a great performance, but it is not genuine. It is not real. They are posers.

In the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares found in Matthew 13, Jesus talked about people like these—genuine imitations. Jesus was not referring to struggling believers, but to phonies. He was talking about actors. And in this parable, He exposed one of the ways in which the devil works. Specifically it is one of the ways the devil will be working in the end times: through imitation.

This parable mentions two sowings. The first is by a farmer who sows seed in his field, hoping for a good crop. The second sowing is done by an enemy who plants tares, or weeds, right next to what the farmer just sowed, with the purpose of uprooting the good seed. A tare was a darnel seed that initially looked like wheat. But it is not until it is fully grown that it becomes evident that it is not wheat at all.

There are counterfeit Christians today, just as there were in the first century. Yet it will be up to God to ultimately decide who they are. In that final day, He will determine whether someone is the Christian they profess to be.

P.S. – All month long in April, your Daily Devotions will have a new look as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We’re calling it the Road to the Resurrection, specially designed to deepen your Easter experience and draw you closer to the risen Lord.

Have you ever doubted the Bible? Have you ever had questions about how the Bible came into being? Have you wondered about the historical reliability of the Bible? Listen. Don't feel bad about that. Let us help you. Here is a great resource that will bolster your faith and help you to defend your beliefs. This book is called Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible. It is written by Greg's friend, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, who is the pastor of the famed Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, Illinois.

You can have your own copy of Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Biblein appreciation for your gift to Harvest Ministries this month.